Carpets and rugs

ABSTRACT

Carpet having a cut pile of multi-filament yarns twisted together such that when the pile is cut the filaments become unwound and entangled to form a strong coherent structure at the tops of the tufts.

United States Patent Hatt Aug. 19, 1975 1 CARPETS AND RUGS BY, 140 G {75] inventor: Thomas L. Hatt, Westervoort (61), Netherlands [56] References Cited [73] Assignee: Akzona Incorporated, Asheville, UNITED STATES PATENTS No 2,662,560 12 1953 Jackson 139 401 2,979,803 4/1961 Keen..., 161/62 [22} Filed: Oct. 23, 1973 [2]] Appl No: 408 549 Primary ExaminerMarion E. McCamish Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Stevens, Davis, Miller &

Mosher [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1 Oct. 30, 1972 United Kingdom 50017 72 5 ABSTRACT Carpet having a cut pile of multi-filament yarns [52] US. Cl. 428/92, 156/72 twisted together Such that when the pile is out the [51] Int. Cl. D03d 27/00, D(4h 1 l/OO ments, become unwound and entangled to form a [58] Field of Search 1 1/62-67, Strong coherent structure at the tops of the tufts.

161/172, 173, 177, 179; 156/72, 435; 28/72 P, 72 CS; 139/2, 399, 401, 426 TW; 57/140 12 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures CARPETS AND RUGS The invention relates to a carpet or rug having a cut pile formed by tufts which are anchored in a backing and are each made up of a number of twisted or plied yarns. Carpets or rugs of the type indicated above are commercially known as short pile shag, long pile shag or frise carpets or rugs. Although these known carpets or rugs are reasonably satisfactory for some applications, they have particular drawbacks. For example, the users of the above types of carpets or rugs generally find that they are trodden down relatively soon, as a result of which the effect in the carpet or .rugbecomes indistinct and differently coloured .threads pass .into' one another. The known carpets orrugs being trodden down in a relatively short time leads to reduced springiness and comfort. Further more, the known carpets or rugs will after only a few weeks thorough use display a relatively old or worn appearance.

The object of the invention is to provide a carpet or rug of the type indicated in the opening paragraph which no longer shows the aforementioned disadvantages. The carpet or rug according to the invention is characterized in that mainly in and near the tops of the pile tufts a large proportion of the filaments in each pile tuft is highly interlace in order to impart coherence to the filaments in the separate tops of the pile tufts. Ac cording to the invention the pile tufts are with advantage made up of two or more plied yarns, and the twist of the singles yarns is opposite to that of the plied yarn and the ply twist and the twist of the single yarns are each about 50-250 turns per metre, and the filaments have a circular or multi-lobal, more particulary a trilobal cross-section.

Good results have been obtained with singles yarn in the range of 500-2500 decitex and folded yarn in the range of 1000-7500 decitex, more particularly 1260 decitex singles folded to 2500 (2 ply) or 3750 decitex p y)- According to the invention a carpet or rug whose pile is anchored in a backing by tufting or by some other carpet manufacturing process is characterized in that the pile tufts are made up of yarns which prior to being twisted are crimped by subjecting an initially latent crimp yarn to a heat treatment e.g. with hot air or steam blowing in order to at least partly develop the latent crimp. According to the invention the latent or indirect crimp has been imparted to the yarn by introducing cross-sectionally asymmetrical stresses in the filaments, more particularly in such a way that after the drawing process the yarn is subjected to a knife edge crimping treatment, asymmetrical or one-sided heating or some other treatment with a similar effect.

According to a preferred method the carpet accord ing to the invention is subjected to a heat treatment preferably under the influence of moisture. According to the invention the heat treatment may with advantage consist in dyeing the carpet or rug in a heated dye bath. More particularly, said heat treatment may according to the invention consist in the latexing of the carpet or rug backing.

Surprisingly. it has been found that in the carpet according to the invention a particularly good tuft and colour definition is maintained. Also in the case of thorough use the walking comfort remains good and the pile is not trodden down. The good coherence of the filaments mainly in and near the tuft tops of the cut pile not only substantially prevents the tuft threads from splaying out but also makes it possible for the used carpet or rug to retain its original character, or in other words even after prolonged use the carpet or rug still has the appearance of a'fairly new product.

EXAMPLE Favourable results have been obtained with carpets made from drawn yarn having a count of decitex 1260 and composed of 64 filaments, into which yarn first of all latent crimp was introduced, after which the latent crimp yarn was subjected to a heat treatment for the development of the latent crimp. This yarn was provided with an S-twist of not more than 50-250 turns per metre. Subsequently, three of these singles yarns were given a ply twist in Z-direction also of 50-250 turns per metre. The twisted carpet yarn thus obtained was tufted into a backing on a tufting machine on which the formed pile loops are cut immediately after tufting. The

carpet was dyed in a heated dye bath and the back of.

the carpet finally latexed under the influence of heat. Finally, the carpet was dyed in a heated dye bath. Piece dyeing is, of course, not required if use is made of previously coloured or spin-dyed yarns or moulinee yarns. It should be added that for the manufacture of the carpet or rug according to the invention said carpet yarns neither require a separate, prolonged heat treatment in a rotating drum (tumbling) nor a separate steam treatment in an autoclave prior to being tufted.

A carpet or rug with favourable properties is obtained if the pile tufted into the carpet or rug has a height of l2-l00 mm and in the finished carpet or rug has a height of 8-80 mm.

The carpet according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanying photographs.

Photo No 1 shows a top view of the cut pile carpet from which it is clear that the pile tufts remain separated for the greater part.

Photo No 2 shows the coherence of the filaments in the tops of the pile tufts on an enlarged scale.

Within the scope of the invention various modifications may be made.

I claim:

1. A carpet or rug having a cut pile formed by tufts anchored in a backing, each tuft comprising at least two multifilament yarns twisted together to form pile loops, said yarns having been prepared by twisting filaments together, the direction of twist of the yarns to form the pile loops being opposite to the direction of the twist of the filaments, said pile loops being cut whereby said filaments become unwound and entangled only at the tops of the tufts to provide a strong coherent structure.

2. The carpet or rug of claim 1 wherein the filaments are twisted at about 50 to about 250 turns per meter to form the yarns and the yarns are twisted from about 50 t to 250 turns per meter in a direction opposite to the direction of twist of the filaments to form the pile loops.

3. The carpet or rug of claim 2 wherein the filaments have a circular or multi-lobal cross-section.

4. The carpet or rug of claim 3 wherein the said filaments are crimped.

5. Carpet or rug according to claim 1 the pile of which is anchored in the carpet backing by tufting or by some other carpet manufacturing process characterized in that the pile tufts are made up of yarns which prior to being twisted are crimped by subjecting an ini- 3 tially latent crimp yarn to a heat treatment e.g. steam blowing or with hot air in order to at least partly develop the latent crimp.

6. Carpet or rug according to claim 5, characterized in that the latent crimp is imparted to the yarn by introducing in the filaments a cross-sectionally asymmetrical condition of tension, more particularly in such a way that after the drawing process the yarn is subjected to a knife edge crimping treatment, asymmetrical or one-sided heating or some other treatment with a similar effect.

7. Carpet or rug of claim 5, characterized in that the carpet is subjected to a heat treatment, preferably under the influence of moisture.

8. Carpet or rug according to claim 7, characterized in that the heat treatment consists in dyeing the carpet in a heated dye bath.

9. Carpet or rug according to claim 7, characterized 4 in that said heat treatment consists in latexing the backing of the carpet or rug.

l0. Carpet or rug of claim 1, characterized in that the yarn is made of nylon.

11. A method for making an improved carpet or rug having tufts of filaments which are entangled at the tops thereof to form a strong coherent structure which comprises twisting filaments at about to about 250 turns per meter to form a yarn, twisting at least two of the resulting yarns together at about 50 to about 250 turns per meter in a direction opposite to the twist of the filaments, tufting the resulting twisted yarns into a backing on a tufting machine to form pile loops, cutting the pile loops after tufting whereby the cut filaments unwind and become entangled at the top of the tufts.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the filaments are crimped prior to twisting to form the yarns. 

1. A CAEPET OR RUG HAVING A CUT PILE FORMED BY TUFTS ANCHORED IN A BACKING, EACH TUFT COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO MULTIFILAMENT YARNS TWISTED TOGETHER TO FORM PILE LOOPS, SAID YARNS HAVING BEEN PREPARED BY TWISTING FILAMENTS TOGETHER, THE DIRECTION OF TWIST OF THE YARNS TO FORM THE PILE LOOPS BEING OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF THE TWIST OF THE FILAMENTS, SAID PILE LOOPS BEING CUT WHEREBY SAID FILAMENTS BECOME UNWOUND AND ENTANGLED ONLY AT THE TOPS OF THE TUFTS TO PROVIDE A STRONG COHERENT STURCTURE.
 2. The carpet or rug of claim 1 wherein the filaments are twisted at about 50 to about 250 turns per meter to form the yarns and the yarns are twisted from about 50 to 250 turns per meter in a direction opposite to the direction of twist of the filaments to form the pile loops.
 3. The carpet or rug of claim 2 wherein the filaments have a circular or multi-lobal cross-section.
 4. The carpet or rug of claim 3 wherein the said filaments are crimped.
 5. Carpet or rug according to claim 1 the pile of which is anchored in the carpet backing by tufting or by some other carpet manufacturing process characterized in that the pile tufts are made up of yarns which prior to being twisted are crimped by subjecting an initially latent crimp yarn to a heat treatment e.g. steam blowing or with hot air in order to at least partly develop the latent crimp.
 6. Carpet or rug according to claim 5, characterized in that the latent crimp is imparted to the yarn by introducing in the filaments a cross-sectionally asymmetrical condition of tension, more particularly in such a way that after the drawing process the yarn is subjected to a knife edge crimpinG treatment, asymmetrical or one-sided heating or some other treatment with a similar effect.
 7. Carpet or rug of claim 5, characterized in that the carpet is subjected to a heat treatment, preferably under the influence of moisture.
 8. Carpet or rug according to claim 7, characterized in that the heat treatment consists in dyeing the carpet in a heated dye bath.
 9. Carpet or rug according to claim 7, characterized in that said heat treatment consists in latexing the backing of the carpet or rug.
 10. Carpet or rug of claim 1, characterized in that the yarn is made of nylon.
 11. A METHOD FOR MAKING AN IMPROVVED CARPET OR RUG HAVING TUFTS OF FILAMENTS WHICH ARE ENTANGLED AT THE TOPS THEREOF TO FORM A STRONG COHERENT STRUCTURE WHICH COMPRISES TWISTING FILAMENTS AT ABOUT 50 TO ABOUT 250 TURNS PER METER TO FORM A YYARN, TWISTING T LEAST TWO OF THE RESULTING YARNS TOGETHER AT
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the filaments are crimped prior to twisting to form the yarns. 